These Are the Quickest SUVs We’ve Ever Tested (So Far)

The SUV world has changed a lot since the 280-hp, all-wheel-drive GMC Typhoon hit the streets in the early 1990s and solidified the performance ute as a thing. The turbocharged, two-door GMC Jimmy–based SUV dashed to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds in our 1992 test, quicker than a contemporary BMW M5. Fast forward to today, and crossovers and SUVs are at the height of their popularity and sophistication—while growing ever more powerful. Most of the lavish all-wheel-drive rigs on this list blister with more than twice the Typhoon’s horsepower, and every single one sprints to 60 mph in less than 4.0 seconds. (For some of the SUVs in this group, multiple tests of the same model have produced different zero-to-60 results, so we included the quickest of each.) That Lamborghini has joined the people-mover ranks with the 2019 Urus—Ferrari is planning a tall entrant, too—means we’ll surely be updating this list as SUV performance continues to evolve. Click through for a tour of the quickest SUVs to 60 mph that we’ve strapped our test gear to thus far (they’re presented in descending order, with ties broken by considering zero-to-100-mph and then quarter-mile times):

This article is updated whenever a new model or models merit inclusion. It was originally published in April 2018.

By Mike Sutton

2016 Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S Coupe – 3.9 seconds

The GLE63 S coupe is the slowest vehicle on this list to breach the 4.0-second-to-60-mph barrier, doing so by only a tenth of a second. On the upside, the Mercedes accelerates to the bellowing roar that we so love from AMG’s hand-built V-8 engines. The twin-turbo 5.5-liter mill in the hunchback GLE63 S coupe pumps out 577 horsepower and 561 lb-ft of torque, which is sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission. While its bulbous shape may be less than handsome and its dynamic performance falls just short of its main rivals’, the GLE’s overall execution allowed it to beat a 2015 BMW X6 M in a comparison test. READ MORE ››

By Mike Sutton

Photos By Michael Simari

2017 BMW X5 M – 3.8 seconds (tie)

Both the BMW X5 M and its coupelike X6 M sibling consistently ranked among the quickest and sportiest SUVs available since the originals debuted for 2010. The second-generation models share the same 567-hp twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8, eight-speed automatic transmission, and advanced all-wheel-drive system and—importantly—are capable of cracking the four-second barrier. Our most recent test of the X5 M saw the 5303-pound ute return a 3.8-second zero-to-60-mph dash and a quarter-mile pass of 12.2 seconds at 114 mph. Notable trade-offs for the BMWs’ performance potential, other than their six-figure starting prices, include an overly stiff ride and a dizzying array of driving-mode settings. READ MORE ››

By Mike Sutton

Photos By Alex Conley

2017 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S – 3.8 seconds (tie)

The Cayenne Turbo S employs the common hot-SUV formula of a gutsy, twin-turbo V-8 (in this case a 4.8-liter) paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Output is 570 horsepower and a hefty 590 lb-ft of torque, which in our most recent test was good for a 12.2-second quarter-mile pass at 115 mph. A starting price of $160K is not for the faint of wallet, yet the Porsche remains one of our favorite all-around high-performance SUVs. The next iteration of the Turbo S, based on the all-new 2019 Cayenne, will adopt the 680-hp V-8 plug-in hybrid powertrain from the 2018 Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid. So, buckle in. READ MORE ››

By Mike Sutton

Photos By Michael Simari

2016 Mercedes-AMG GLE63 S – 3.8 seconds (tie)

The squareback version of the GLE63 S weighs 82 pounds less than the 5397-pound GLE63 S coupe on this list, which helped improve its straight-line performance to match the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S’s, including a 12.2-second quarter-mile run at 115 mph. The AMG ute’s twin-turbo V-8 makes the same 577 horses and 561 lb-ft of torque as the coupe in its higher S trim, but it also is available in a 550-hp, non-S strength. (The funkier-looking coupe is offered in S trim only.) We expect an all-new GLE to arrive for 2019, with the addition of AMG’s ubiquitous twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 likely making for an even stronger GLE63 model. READ MORE ››

By Mike Sutton

Photos By Michael Simari

2017 Porsche Macan Turbo with Performance Package – 3.7 seconds (tie)

Optioning Porsche’s junior Turbo SUV with its $10,445 Performance package results in a serious uptick in launch capability: The upgrade drops the Macan Turbo’s zero-to-60-mph time from 4.2 to 3.7 seconds, with its run in the quarter-mile improving from 12.9 seconds at 107 mph to 12.4 at 112. The Performance package adds, among other items, 40 horsepower and 36 lb-ft of torque (for totals of 440 and 442) to its twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6. While the excellent launch-control system for the standard seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic helps the Macan rocket off the line more quickly than several more powerful SUVs, its relatively smaller corral of ponies is evident in its slower quarter-mile trap speed. READ MORE ››

By Mike Sutton

Photos By Alex Conley

2007 Hennessey Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT600 – 3.7 seconds (tie)

Jeep’s SRT-fettled Grand Cherokees have always been quick, but it took the 2018 Trackhawk variant to shuffle the rigs into the upper echelon of SUV accelerative performance. Yet before that 707-hp beast arrived, a first-generation SRT8 model modified by Hennessey Performance ripped to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 12.2 seconds at 116 mph—back in 2007. Its fortified, turbocharged 6.1-liter Hemi V-8 punched out 620 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, and it was backed by the stock five-speed automatic and all-wheel-drive system. The as-tested price came to $76,440, not including the cost to replace the stock torque converter that ultimately failed toward the end of our test session.

By Mike Sutton

Photos By J.G. Russell

2015 BMW X6 M – 3.7 seconds (tie)

Here we have BMW’s other monster, a 2015 X6 M that put down a 3.7-second run to 60 mph and a 12.1-second sprint through the quarter-mile at 115 mph, each 0.1 second quicker than the X5 M on this list. While those times are the quickest we’ve ever recorded for a BMW SUV, what makes this particular X6 M special is that it also posted a ridiculous 1.01 g of lateral grip on the skidpad, the same as our long-term 2015 BMW M3 at the time and the highest figure we’ve recorded for a utility vehicle. This 5202-pound porker also needed just 152 feet to stop from 70 mph. READ MORE ››

By Mike Sutton

Photos By Michael Simari

2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk – 3.5 seconds (tie)

The Hellcat Jeep is by far the most powerful vehicle on this list. Combine a 707-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, all stuffed into Jeep’s luxury off-roader, and this is the result. While our still impressive quarter-mile pass of 12 seconds flat at 115 mph fell short of Jeep’s 11.6-second claim, this remains the most manageable way to live with (and exploit) Fiat Chrysler’s thunderous Hellcat engine. And at $87,445 to start, the Trackhawk just undercuts the upgraded Porsche Macan Turbo as the least expensive new vehicle on this list. READ MORE ››

By Mike Sutton

Photos By Greg Pajo

2017 Bentley Bentayga W-12 – 3.5 seconds (tie)

Despite weighing a herculean 5672 pounds and producing only 600 horsepower (and 664 lb-ft of torque) from its available twin-turbo 6.0-liter W-12 engine, the top-spec Bentayga is the second-quickest to 60 and the only internal-combustion SUV to breach the 12-second barrier in the quarter-mile, turning a wicked time of 11.9 at 118 mph. That its hedonistic trappings and reserved demeanor make little drama of that full-throttle affair is almost as impressive. Oh, and you can take it off-road—you know, SUV stuff—if you want to. READ MORE ››

By Mike Sutton

Photos By Michael Simari

2016 Tesla Model X P90D – 3.3 seconds (tie)

Its falcon-wing rear doors may be silly, and its lack of small explosions underhood might disappoint internal-combustion fans, but there’s no denying that Tesla’s crossover is ludicrously quick. After all, it has an available Ludicrous driving mode. Peak acceleration in the Model X is a kick to the backside, and in our testing a 2016 Ludicrous Speed–equipped P90D model (that’s the Performance trim of the X with the 90.0-kWh battery pack, which has since been discontinued in favor of the even-quicker 100D models) warped to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds and covered the quarter-mile in 11.8 at 116 mph. Thank the all-wheel drive and 713 lb-ft of low-down electric torque for that breathtaking launch capability. While this list surely will get more crowded in the near future as other fiery SUVs come to market, the people mover from the house of Elon is currently the quickest of the quick. READ MORE ››

By Mike Sutton

Photos By Charlie Magee

2018 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S Coupe – 3.3 seconds (tie)

You must surely be wondering how the 503-hp GLC63 S coupe edges the Tesla Model X in this accelerative roundup, despite notching the same 3.3-second run to 60 mph. Easy—remember, we decided that zero-to-100-mph and quarter-mile times are tiebreakers, and in both metrics, the compact AMG SUV/coupe mashup smokes the Tesla. How does 100 mph in 8.1 seconds sound? Or an 11.7-second quarter-mile (with a 119-mph trap speed)? Yeah, that’s quick. And it applies only to the GLC63 S coupe; the 469-hp non-S version likely won’t be as speedy (ditto the coupe’s more traditionally shaped GLC63 SUV sibling, which isn’t available in S guise). READ MORE ››